Current Projects
2024-2025
COGNITIVE MISFIT & INSIGHT CREATIVITY
Dinko Bačić, Tarek Soukieh, Ray Henry, Charles McElroy
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (A* Journal)
In this research project, we explore how cognitive misfit—a mismatch between task and data visualization—can enhance creativity by disrupting habitual thinking and fostering deeper engagement. Unlike cognitive fit, which optimizes for efficiency by reducing cognitive effort, misfit forces users to actively interpret unfamiliar representations, potentially leading to novel insights. This perspective challenges the traditional assumption that alignment between task and visualization always improves decision-making performance. A key theoretical mechanism linking cognitive misfit to creativity is mindfulness, defined as a state of active, present-focused cognitive engagement. While cognitive fit may encourage automatic reliance on established mental models—misfit disrupts these patterns, prompting users to pay closer attention, process information in new ways, and generate more creative solutions. By integrating cognitive misfit and mindfulness into visualization design, this research stream has the potential to advance both IS theory and AI-driven decision-support systems.
2024-2025
INFORMATION OVERLOAD AND DECISION MAKING
Ryan Love, Anne Price, Sofia Martinez, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (A Journal)
Ryan Love, Anne Price, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Accepted (Conference)
In this research stream, we explore how bounded rationality, information overload, and brand familiarity shape consumer decision-making, particularly in high-information environments. We investigate how consumers, constrained by cognitive limitations, process product information and allocate attention when faced with overwhelming choices. Specifically, we examine information overload as a factor that increases cognitive strain, leading individuals to rely on familiar brands to simplify their decisions. We also analyze brand familiarity, focusing on how prior knowledge and brand loyalty impact attention and product preferences. To capture both conscious and subconscious decision-making processes, we utilize biometric measures, including eye-tracking to assess visual attention strategies and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) to measure physiological arousal. By integrating these methods, this research stream provides a deeper understanding of how consumers navigate complex product choices, offering insights into decision-making behavior, user experience, and the role of cognitive effort in shaping preferences in real-world purchasing environments.
2024-2025
GENDERED MARKETING CUES & VISUAL ATTENTION
Anna Skinner, Evey Kallmeyer, Paige Gutierrez, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (A Journal)
Stage: Manuscript Accepted (Conference)
In this research stream, we examine how gendered colors and endorsers influence subconscious visual attention using eye-tracking technology. We investigate whether traditional gender-based color associations and endorser gender affect where and how consumers allocate their visual attention. Grounded in the Eye-Mind Hypothesis and the SOR (Stimulus-Organism-Response) model, we explore whether gendered marketing cues impact consumer perception in ways that align with societal norms or if subconscious behaviors reveal a more nuanced reality. We analyze fixation duration, dwell time, saccades, and time to first fixation to assess engagement and preference patterns. This research stream contributes to understanding gendered marketing effectiveness, providing insights for product design and advertising strategies. By integrating biometric data, we uncover implicit consumer biases and decision-making processes that may not align with self-reported preferences, offering a more accurate view of gendered consumer behavior.
2024-2025
SUBTITLES - VISUAL ATTENTION - RECALL
Kaitlin Walker, Ayla Lezic, Eoin McDonagh, Bilal Khurshid, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Draft
Kaitlin Walker, Ayla Lezic, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Accepted (Conference)
In this research stream, we explore the impact of subtitles on recall, visual engagement, and arousal in streaming content, guided by dual coding theory. We investigate how subtitles influence comprehension-based recall (understanding of spoken content), perception-based recall (memory of visual scene details), and subconscious visual attention using eye-tracking technology. Additionally, we evaluate how subtitles affect both native and foreign language content, assessing whether their benefits extend beyond language accessibility. To further understand the cognitive and emotional impact, we analyze arousal levels using Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) data, measuring how subtitles influence viewers' physiological engagement. By examining fixation duration, dwell time, gaze allocation, and GSR responses, we assess whether subtitles enhance memory retention, shift attention, or increase cognitive effort. Our findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge on multimodal learning, providing insights for streaming platforms, content creators, and educators to optimize subtitle integration without disrupting engagement.
2023-2025
COGNITIVE FIT THEORY - LITERATURE REVIEW
Dinko Bačić, Nenad Jukić
Stage: Manuscript Draft
Cognitive Fit Theory (CFT) has been a foundational framework for understanding how the alignment between problem-solving tasks and information representations influences performance. Over the past three decades, a substantial body of research has applied and extended CFT across various domains, yet a comprehensive synthesis of this work has been lacking. This structured literature review examines CFT research from 1991 to 2023, tracing its development, identifying key research communities, and analyzing study methodologies. We explore the diverse contexts in which CFT has been applied, including data visualization, decision-making, information systems, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and augmented reality. This review synthesizes existing research and highlights unresolved questions, providing a foundation for advancing CFT scholarship and extending its applicability to contemporary and future technological landscapes.
2025
PROFANITY IN VIDEO LECTURES
Lauren Devine, Stella Burns, Grace Jakobs, Caroline Makara, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (Conference)
In this research stream, we examine the impact of profanity in educational video lectures on recall, visual attention, and emotional engagement. We explore whether the strategic use of swear words enhances memory retention, captures visual focus, and triggers emotional arousal. Profanity is known to activate heightened cognitive processing, potentially improving recall by increasing salience and engagement. Using eye-tracking technology, we assess fixation duration, dwell time, and blink rates to measure shifts in attention. Additionally, we employ Facial Action Coding System (FACS) and Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) to analyze subconscious emotional reactions and physiological arousal. By varying profanity intensity across different conditions, we evaluate how different levels of taboo language influence learning effectiveness and engagement. Our findings contribute to pedagogical strategies and instructional design, challenging traditional views on language appropriateness in education while uncovering new pathways to enhance student engagement.
2025
DEMENTIA BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION
Katie Ehlman Nicolas Jankuhn, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Pilot Study IRB Submission
In this research stream, we explore the Positive Physical Approach (PPA) as a behavioral intervention designed to enhance caregiver interactions with people living with dementia (PLWD). Developed by Teepa Snow in 2005, PPA is a 12-step method that focuses on retained cognitive and motor skills rather than deficits, using familiar social cueing to facilitate engagement. To measure intervention fidelity, we employ facial action coding (FACS) and eye-tracking technology, providing objective insights into attention and affective responses. By improving caregiver-PLWD interactions, PPA aims to reduce resistance to care and enhance daily living assistance. Our findings contribute to advancing neurologically-informed caregiving techniques, refining behavioral interventions that prioritize connection and preserved abilities in dementia care.
2025
MISINFORMATION MODERATION
Miranda Duffy, Farheen Saiyed, Haley Salas, Angelika Tokarczyk, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (Conference)
In this research project, we examine how misinformation moderation strategies impact user trust, engagement, and cognitive responses on social media. We compare platform-driven moderation (top-down enforcement by social media companies) and community-driven moderation (crowdsourced interventions) to assess their effectiveness in shaping perceptions of content accuracy and trust in moderation itself. Using biometric measures, including eye-tracking, Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), and facial expression analysis, we explore how misinformation warnings affect visual attention, emotional arousal, and willingness to engage with flagged content. By integrating self-reported and physiological data, our study provides deeper insights into how users process and react to misinformation warnings, offering guidance for social media platforms, policymakers, and misinformation researchers in designing effective moderation systems.
2025
NOTIFICATION DYNAMICS
Ryan Hensley, Jake Wilcox, Patryk Suszko, Sebastian Mesones, Dinko Bačić
Stage: Manuscript Under Review (Conference)
In this project, we investigate the cognitive and emotional impacts of digital notifications on task performance, visual attention, and physiological arousal in high-pressure work environments. Grounded in Multiple Resource Theory and interruption research, we examine how different notification modalities (visual, auditory, combined) and contextual factors such as urgency and placement affect task efficiency, memory recall, and cognitive load. Using eye-tracking technology, we assess fixation duration, gaze patterns, and attention shifts, while Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) measures physiological arousal in response to distractions. By integrating self-reported and biometric data, this research offers insights into designing less disruptive notification systems, balancing workplace efficiency and well-being, and optimizing digital work environments for enhanced focus and productivity.